A MAN calling himself Jaguar Palace was the kingpin of one of the largest-ever drugs investigations in the UK.
Police dubbed the Jaguar Palace operation as the East of England's biggest-ever drug operation. Here's what we know about the man behind the name.
Who is Robert Brooks, AKA Jaguar Palace?
Hertfordshire man Robert Brooks called himself Jaguar Palace and was behind the massive drug operation which involved around £58million worth of cocaine and heroin being trafficked into the UK.
A £15,000 encrypted phone contract was used to conceal the operation with the code name of Jaguar Palace.
The operation involved drugs being imported from Europe into the UK hidden under consignments of goods.
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Detectives became suspicious after Border Patrol officers intercepted a delivery at a port in France finding heroin concealed under spider catchers.
According to reports, Brooks had overseen 39 separate heroin and cocaine deliveries into the UK.
His total deliveries were assessed at being around 1,835 kilos of Class A drugs with a total value of between £42million and £58million.
His operation took place at a rented unit at Little Samuels Farm in Hunsdon, East Hertfordshire.
Brooks was caught after officers used cell site evidence to show his encrypted phone was with his normal phone wherever he went, proving he was the man using the code name “Jaguar Palace”.
Dashcam footage from his car also sealed his fate after Brooks kept it running during a drugs pickup from the unit.
Brooks worked as a part time driving instructor and had no previous convictions.
At the time of his arrest he was married with a young son.
His arrest took place on his son's birthday with Brooks making a heartbreaking phone call from the police station.
After claiming to be phoning from the office, Brooks ends the call by saying: "Alright mate, speak to you later, love you."
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What crimes was Robert Brooks convicted of?
Brooks pleaded guilty to conspiracy to fraudulently evade the prohibition on the importation of a Class A drugs.
He also pleaded guilty to possession of criminal property between November 2018 and August 2019.
For his crimes, Brooks was jailed for 21 years at St Albans Crown Court in September 2020.
Who else was convicted in the Home County Cartel drug bust?
Richard Campbell and Tomasz Wozniak were arrested after police raided the premises on Little Samuels Farm.
Warehouse worker Campbell, from Milton Keynes, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to fraudulently evade the prohibition on the importation of heroin and cocaine.
In September 2020, he was sentenced to 13 years and six months.
Forklift truck driver Wozniak, also from MK, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine.
He was jailed for six years and three months.
Stephen Capp was also involved in the drug trafficking operation, working as a courier.
Capp, from Hull, visited the farm a total of 18 times to collect and deliver the drugs taking them to the north of England.
Capp was arrested on the M25 in December 2019 and five kilograms of cocaine was seized from a hidden compartment in his car
He was jailed for nine years and six months after pleading guilty to possession and conspiracy to supply.
Where is Jaguar Palace now?
Brooks - known as Jaguar Palace - was sentenced to 21 years in September 2020.
He is not eligible for parole until March 23, 2031.
Judge Michael Kay QC said: "Addiction to heroin and cocaine destroys the lives of hundreds of thousand of people.
"Those who make money from such misery and degradation of fellow citizens will achieve substantial prison sentence.
"The business is not just illegal, it is immoral and despicable."
All men involved in the Jaguar Palace drug smuggling are still in prison.
